1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to anesthesia, and more particularly to convenient means for avoiding the necessity of absorption of carbon dioxide during the application of an anesthetic mixture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, in order to conserve anesthetic gases, and thereby achieve significant economies, typical practice, particularly for protracted periods of anesthesia, has been to employ a circle absorber system, in which air exhaled by the patient is passed through a carbon dioxide absorber, and rebreathed. It is known that by providing a sufficiently high volume of fresh anesthetic mixture to a patient, and by providing means for the exhaled gases to be dispensed to the atmosphere without re-inhalation of excessive carbon dioxide, anesthesia can be performed without the use of a carbon dioxide absorber, and still avoid carbon dioxide poisoning of the patient. However, such procedures have been considered by many to be wasteful of anesthetic gases and therefore extravagant and expensive. Also they have involved a fairly clumsy assortment of components and fittings. In addition, the exhaled mixture presents problems in the operating room environment, if not necessarily from tendency to stablish a fire supporting environment, at least from the standpoint of biologically contaminating the environment in some cases, and tending to contribute to an anesthetic environment in the operating room itself. Nevertheless, I believe there are situations where the problems of such procedures can be minimized, and some advantages achieved. My present invention is directed toward securing the advantages and minimizing the problems.